Michèle Mouton has been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the FIA at its 2024 prize giving ceremony in Kigali.
Mouton, who served as FIA safety delegate from 2010-2024, accepted the award from FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, in recognition of her achievements behind the wheel as well as in improving safety
Mouton won four rallies throughout her World Rally Championship career, all with Audi through the Group B era, and also came second in the 1982 championship.
“I didn’t expect this honor, thank you so much – it’s a great pleasure,” Mouton said.
“I don’t know what to say, just time is going very fast. I’ve spent 50 years of my life in motorsport – 15 years as a rally driver, 20 years organizing Race of Champions and now 15 years with the FIA.
“Today safety is the most important thing and I’m happy with all we do with all the team at the FIA. Now I leave the floor to the younger ones, and I know they will continue very well.”
Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe accepted their champions’ trophies from Mouton after topping the 2024 season.
“For those who came a few times to the FIA prize giving know I have been many times up here but never on first place,” Neuville said.
For eight of the last nine years, Neuville had been present at the FIA Prize Giving Gala to receive a trophy. This year was the first time he got to take the biggest trophy of all home.
“It’s many years we have been chasing this very special title and it feels like a reward for all those years of hard work. We have been in the World Rally Championship since 2012, so a long time ago.
“It’s a reward for us but also our team, our crew around us who worked all the year through as hard as we can to chase that title and get it finally, so we are really proud.
“It’s a big pressure also going from our shoulders and I’m sure the upcoming season we are going to enjoy even more.”
Toyota project director Yuichiro Haruna was also on-hand to accept the WRC manufacturers’ trophy for his team.
